Making Change: Payments, Perspectives, and Politics
In 2019, Sweden was making headlines as it raced toward a cashless economy, prompting the media to question whether the United States was on a similar path. As a payments company, we were well-positioned to address this question.
We began by analyzing transactions within the Square ecosystem to understand the breakdown of cash and card payments. However, as we investigated further and spoke with business owners, we uncovered a more complex narrative.
To provide a nuanced response to the question of whether the U.S. was moving toward a cashless society, we created an interactive report that combined transaction data, customer stories, business and consumer surveys, and insights from academics, experts, and policymakers.
The report was pitched to the media and distributed across owned channels. Additionally, we partnered with Vox to promote the report to its readers to drive traffic.
The primary goal of the report, titled "Making Change," was to generate media coverage, which it achieved to great effect. It also established Square as a thought leader in the cashless conversation, and the report was even referenced during a congressional session. New editions of the report were issued in 2020 and 2021.
Vox editorial placement
Introduction to the report
Highlighting Harvard Prof. Shelle Santana, which provided analysis
Consumer cash vs card usage infographic
Perspectives from real business owners
